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From there Elisha went up to Bethel, and while he was on the road, some small boys came out of the town and jeered at him. ‘Hurry up, baldy!’ they shouted. ‘Come on up, baldy!’ He turned round and looked at them; and he cursed them in the name of Yahweh. And two bears came out of the forest and savaged forty-two of the boys. From there he went on to Mount Carmel and then returned to Samaria. (2 Ki. 2:23-25)

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The 2019 Annual Karl Barth Conference will be hosted by the Center for Barth Studies from June 16-19, 2019 on the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey. Fifty years from Barth’s own death and on the centenary of the publication of the Römerbrief, the conference takes as its theme, “The Finality of the Gospel: Karl Barth and the Tasks of Eschatology”. The central purpose is to consider how fresh encounters with various aspects of Karl Barth’s dogmatic theology and biblical exegesis might stimulate, inform, shape, and challenge contemporary reflection on the range of eschatological themes in Christian theology. Plenary papers from leading theologians and biblical scholars from North America and Europe will be supplemented by the contributions of other scholars to be offered in two concurrent sessions during the conference.

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It was as a Commentator that Calvin reigned supreme in his day, and, for that matter survives to-day. Beginning with his work on Romans while in Strassburg, in 1540, he continued until the year of his death in Geneva, with his work on Joshua. A more extensive series, and one more clear and marked with spiritual insight, and more modern in method, was not produced by the age of the Reformation. Next to the Institutes and to the work of the Academy, Calvin’s Commentaries rank for influence in the spread of his ideas throughout Europe and America.*

Commentaries for the Church- that’s where the real work is done. I truly believe that.

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At a general diet which met at Baden, January 8, 1531, the Five [Catholic] Cantons declared that unless justice was done them with respect to the Abbey of St. Gall [which had been seized by the Reformed and sold, the proceeds going to help the poor], they would not appear again in diet.

Threats and insults were freely exchanged, although the use of abusive language was expressly forbidden by the treaty. “Thief,” “murderer,” and “arch-heretic,” were some of the epithets applied to Zwingli. But the Five [Catholic] Cantons did not content themselves with the mere use of invective. A vigorous persecution was raised against the poor people among them who loved the Word of God [i.e., the Reformed]. They were fined, imprisoned, cruelly tormented, and expelled from their homes.

Secret councils were held and threats of war were heard on every side. The evangelical cities, greatly alarmed by these warlike manifestations, assembled in diet at Basel, February, 1531, and again at Zurich in March. At the former of these meetings, the deputies of Zurich presented a long list of grievances alleged to have been suffered by them at the hands of the Five Cantons. “What can we do,” inquired they, “to punish these base calumnies, and disarm our enemies?” “We understand,” said Bern, “that you would resort to violence, but we bid you reflect that the Five Cantons are forming secret alliances with the Pope, the Emperor, and the King of France. Think also of the many innocent and pious people in the Five Cantons who would suffer in case of war. Think how easy it is to begin a war, but how hard to predict how it will end. Let us rather send a deputation to the Five Cantons requesting the punishment, according to treaty, of those who have circulated these infamous slanders. Should they refuse to do this, let us break off all intercourse with them.”

“Such a mission would be useless,” said the deputies of Basel, “let us rather summon a general diet.” This proposal won general assent, and the diet was accordingly convoked at Baden on the 10th of April.*

The gathering clouds of war would eventually burst in a great tempest in October, 1531, after 10 months of terrible tension between the Catholic Cantons and those which adhered to the Reformed views of Zwingli. And it all started with a squabble over property… and faith…

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8 Jan 1560: d. Jan Łaski – John à Lasco – reformer & 1st pastor of the #Dutch church #London #otd at Pinczow #Poland Buried at high altar of the church there on 29 Jan – grave destroyed by the bishop of Krákow in 1884 (BM)

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Maori Davenport is a senior basketball player at Charles Henderson High School in Troy, Alabama. Committed to Rutgers, she is one of the very best players in the nation. Last summer, Maori played for her country, representing her school and the state of Alabama, on the United States under-18 team in Mexico City. Maori won a gold medal for USA Basketball.

Steve Savarese is the executive director of the Alabama High School Athletic Association. A former high school teacher and coach, Savarese has been the head of the AHSAA for the past dozen years.

In a bizarre case of first impression in Alabama, Maori Davenport was declared ineligible by Savarese at the end of November, effectively ending her high school basketball career. The reason? An administrative error by USA Basketball. That’s it. A clerical error. Nothing more.

This is absurd. This girl has done nothing wrong and she is being unfairly punished. By a white guy. In Alabama. What explanation is there but racism? Read the whole essay and then explain to me what other possible explanation there can be.